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EARTHQUAKE KILLS MORE THAN 300 IN MIDDLE EAST

(Image: Google)

A 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Iraq-Iran border region overnight, and reportedly has killed over 340 people, according to multiple reports. The quake was felt as far away as the Mediterranean coast.

An Associated Press report stated that, “Iran’s western Kermanshah province bore the brunt of the temblor, with Iran’s state-run news agency reporting the quake killed 341 people in the country and injured 5,953. The area is a rural, mountainous region where residents rely mainly on farming to make a living.

In Iraq, the earthquake killed at least seven people and injured 535 there, all in the country’s northern, semiautonomous Kurdish region, according to Iraq’s Interior Ministry.”

TODAY IN A TWEET

BILL GATES IS BUILDING A ‘SMART CITY’ IN ARIZONA

Welcome to Belmont. (Image: WFAA screeenshot/Bill Gates Foundations)

And he’s spent $80 million already. The proposed town is called Belmont and is located about 45 minutes west of Phoenix.

“Belmont will create a forward-thinking community with a communication and infrastructure spine that embraces cutting-edge technology, designed around high-speed digital networks, data centers, new manufacturing technologies and distribution models, autonomous vehicles and autonomous logistics hubs,” Belmont Partners said in a news release.

Wonder if you will be able to live there if you own a Mac.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: FEWER FOREIGN STUDENTS ARE COMING TO THE U.S. FOR COLLEGE

Concerns over safety have kept some international students from coming to the U.S. this semester. (Image: Uloop News file photo)

The Daily Beast — via the New York Times – fills us in on the details of a study from the Institute of International Education:

“In a survey of 500 campuses, 45 percent reported drops in new international enrollment. ‘It’s a mix of factors,’ said Rajika Bhandari, head of research for the Institute of International Education. ‘Concerns around the travel ban had a lot to do with concerns around personal safety based on a few incidents involving international students, and a generalized concern about whether they’re safe.’”

All that works out to an average of 7% fewer international students at America’s colleges this semester.

Hey Monday, take it easy on us, OK? And remember, only 41 days left until Christmas!